Leicester Life Links at…

Life Links were delighted to attend Leicester Pride 2019 at Victoria Park on Saturday 31 August!

The event was full of vibrant energy, fun-packed activities and a variety of entertainment. There were live music and performances, great food stalls, inspiring charities and organisations along with a funfair. This year, we walked in the parade alongside the LGBT+ community to mark the start of the festival, before holding a stand alongside Trade and many other charities and organisations.

Last year we attended Leicester Pride and asked attendees to write on our ‘Pride Wall’ and we were inspired to hear that people were proud of their communities and their loved ones. This year, we took it one step further and asked people to identify something that made them proud of themselves, before writing it on their own bespoke badge which they ‘wore with pride’. We were thrilled to see so many wonderful responses – see our badges for some real life examples!

This was a really enjoyable activity for all those involved and it was really empowering to acknowledge our own personal journeys and achievements while doing something creative. Moreover, it was a pleasure to meet all those who attended the event this year; we were delighted to be able to raise awareness surrounding the mental health support we provide at Life Links and answer so many questions from members of the public. On top of all this, it was phenomenal to see first-hand, the support the community provides for one another.

Once again, Leicester Pride 2019 was amazing! It was a pleasure to be a part of this iconic movement and we are already looking forward to Pride 2020!

Did you know?

Pride is the annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender + (LGBT+) festival. Summer 2019 marks 50 years of Pride Festivals. In Leicester, Pride started as a small event that has grown to a full vibrant festival with more than 10,000 people attending and more than 2,000 participating in the parade throughout the city centre. It is one the largest cultural events and the main goals are to celebrate diversity, equality, and increase education while eliminating discrimination.

LGBTIQ+ people may be at a higher risk of experiencing a mental ill-health than the wider population (Mind). In 2018 Stonewall conducted a report based on research with 5,000 LGBT people in Britain looking at their Mental Health, Wellbeing and specific experiences of accessing healthcare. In summary, in the last year 52% said they have experienced depression, 1/8 LGBT people aged 18-24 (13%) said they have attempted to take their own life, 46% of transgender people have thought about taking their own life and 31% of LGB people who are not trans said the same (Stonewall). Research such as this highlights the important link between mental health and LGBT people and this is one reason we felt it was important to attend Pride and promote wellbeing.